This Is My New Jersey

It may sound strange, but one of my favorite movies is Jaws. Even though I was only five the year it came out, when I was old enough to see it, well, that movie gave me a healthy respect for nature’s creatures. It is also one of the few movies that I can honestly say is better than the book it was inspirated by, written by Peter Benchley.

While Jaws is considered a work of fiction, it has serious similarities to a very real event that took place in New Jersey over a century ago.

The New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916

During the first two weeks of July in 1916, there were five shark attacks that results in four fatalities and one serious injury. Shore visitors were terrified of the “Jersey man-eater.” The first attack took place on July 1^st in Beach Haven. The next attack was in Spring Lake and the last, further north, in Matawan Creek. Despite the fear of beachgoers, the beaches remained open.

At this time in history, ocean swimming was still a new form of recreation. People escaped to the sea air in the midst an incredibly hot summer, as well as a polio epidemic

The attacks made national news and created widespread panic along the east coast. Beachgoers now considered sharks “man-eaters” and that fear led to a significant decline in tourism at New Jersey’s seaside resorts, with some areas experiencing a 75% drop in visitors. Not long after the attacks in the Matawan Creek, a great white shark was killed in Raritan Bay with human remains in its stomach, suggesting it was likely responsible for at least some of the attacks.

Lasting Impacts…

To this day there are debates regarding the attacks of 1916. Some believe the attack in Beach Haven may have been a sea turtle and not a shark. Some scientists question the theory of a “rogue” shark’s responsibility for all five attacks or if the reign of terror was the result of multiple sharks. Most disturbing of all is the idea that a great white shark would go so far inland through the Matawan Creek, a freshwater tidal creek, was troubling to scientists at the time.

The Blockbuster

Jaws is widely considered the first summer blockbuster movie. It was the first movie I saw starring Richard Dreyfuss; an actor I have been a fan of my entire life. Robert Shaw’s performance as Quint deserved an Academy Award. Composer John Williams showed to put fear into the hearts of millions using just two notes. I even had the Jaws game by the Ideal Toy Company. And for a short period of time, I considered a career as an oceanographer. That idea went out the window once I learned it had far more to do with science than I originally thought.

While Mr. Benchley has said the 1916 shark attacks were not his inspiration for his book, the parallel between the book and the terrifying two weeks in July is undeniable. I highly recommend the book Close to Shore (link: https://amzn.to/3HLTPht) by Michael Capuzzo. It is a terrifying true account of the shark attacks in 1916. A time when the Jersey Shore gained national attention with their own blockbuster during the hunt for a man-eater.